Women at Work : The Never Ending Struggle

Why do women work ? Why did I chose to work ? It was not easy ? It's still not easy ? Why do I say so ? No , not because it's difficult to manage all.

Because our society has still not accepted a working women. People think that the primary task of women is not to work but to take care of the house and kids. I don't question and I don't deny. But I don't agree as well. Who is anyone to decide what's my primary task ? If I decide with my better half , its okay ? But why should anyone else ? And why can you not acknowledge that I can take care of my primary and secondary tasks equally well , with due credit to my better half for being on my side.

I started working when I was single in a mid-size well known company. I was different from others. Because I never stayed in office overnight. I used to work only during office hours. And they said that I am different because I am a woman. So you mean , finishing your work in time , not staying late , not taking breaks for smoking and ususally seen on your desk is a woman's characteritic. Well I always took that as a compliment , in case you don't know that. Yes I am different because I am a woman and I don't feel proud in staying back late in office even if I have nothing much to do after the office and I am staying in a hostel. You may though attribute it to my physical and social incapability.But then you don't have any right to say that unless you prove that I am working less than you do , in TRUE SENSE.

And then I got married. And I moved to a Internationally well known , so called BIG AND FAMOUS company. Did this change anything for me ? Yes it did ! Since I was married now , I was looked down upon with sympathy and sometimes with some artificial respect. Yes , I call it artificial , since I know that you don't really appreciate the effort I make , when I choose to work , but you still try to acknowledge that, with your artificially sweet smile. I want to tell you LOUD AND CLEAR that I don't want that. I want no extra respect and NO SYMPATHY AT ALL , just because I am a working woman. Thats my decision and I will cope up with that , as I would want to. When I am in the office, I leave back all the rest at home. I may have got up at 6.00 and struggled to make breakfast , I may have brushed my hair in the car , I may have to cook when I get back home , but this does not affect my productivity. But you will not know this. 'You' ,the bachelors , 'you' the married males , who do not have a working woman in your life and who feel its okay to leave your shoes and towel for your wife and to think that you have all the rights to sit and just watch TV after you get back home , and claim that you are tired after the day's work. AND ALSO 'you' the SINGLE FEMALES , who know that you will sooner or later end up into my shoes and will have to make choices , but then you wish to leverage what you have today by sympathizing with me.

And then I had kid. And people thought that its the end of my career. Why ? Unless I decide so , who are you to decide ? I know I have a challenge ahead , a bigger responsibility, but when I think that I can manage , why do you worry ? My kid is important, rather most important for me. I think of him day and night. About his well being , his growth , his successes , his failures , yes my life centers around him to a great extent. But why do you think I cannot think beyond him. Why do you sympathize with my physical capabilities of taking care of my kid, home and work. Why do you think I cannot talk beyond my kid and food? And I know nothing else about the world ? Why do you think my individuality no longer exist ? Why do you think that I cannot take up any challenging tasks ? Why do you give excuse of my kid , for not giving me an opportunity , when I never deny for taking up anything ? My kid , my home , my husband and my family is my strength. They motivate me to work. They, in no way hamper my productivity and efficiency. Yes , I still don't want to work late and on weekends , but you cannot question me unless I have slipped any deadlines.

The day I would feel that I cannot manage all , I would quit. So bear with me till then.Don't get sugary sweet with me , for I know the difference between real and fake. If you respect me at all , just DON'T THINK I AM AN ALIEN.


Editted to Add this quote , somehow speaks a part of what I wanted to say :
I'm just a person trapped inside a woman's body.
-Elayne Boosler